Chapter Seventy-Eight: Three Hundred and Sixty-Five

Within the realm of consciousness, Zhou Yi stood suspended in the void, his head bowed in contemplation.

“Perhaps…” After some time, Zhou Yi suddenly recalled something—a matter he might never have considered, were it not for the pressing circumstances he now faced.

Inside his body, his spiritual level was insufficient, so within his consciousness all appeared as a blurred, indistinct darkness—illusory and ethereal.

That was how it had always been. However, after his recent epiphany—upon comprehending the true essence of the Reliance Blade Technique, condensing the Diagram of Heaven and Earth, and creating his own Reliance—the situation transformed.

His vast mental power seemed to permeate the entire cosmos; everything appeared to harbor boundless strength, and a powerful sense of fullness surged within him.

At that moment, Zhou Yi noticed a sudden change in the section of indistinct darkness representing his body. His attention shifted there, and the infinite power within his mind followed.

Bang!

Under Zhou Yi’s focused intent, as the power roiled within his consciousness and poured into the darkness, the pitch-black void suddenly brightened.

A small point within it abruptly became a vortex, pulling with endless force and drawing all the energy of his consciousness into itself.

The suction from that tiny point was not strong; Zhou Yi could have halted it with a thought, but he chose not to. His subconscious assured him this was no ill omen.

He allowed the point to absorb the energy flooding his mind, quietly watching to see what changes would unfold after it had consumed so much power.

Yet, before he could finish this thought, further changes began.

Bang!

Bang!

…

As the tiny point began to absorb energy, other similar points suddenly emerged all around it, at distances unknown.

After appearing, each point rapidly formed a vortex, emitting suction and channeling energy from his consciousness into itself.

Witnessing these changes, Zhou Yi felt as though muffled explosions echoed in his mind, each new point accompanied by a sound.

“What is this?” Zhou Yi wondered, baffled by the phenomenon, his heart filled with questions. Yet, since he sensed no danger, he refrained from interfering.

He intended to watch these points slowly absorb energy, hoping to observe what transformations might occur. But unexpectedly, an attack from Mo Hu in the outside world demanded his attention and pulled him away.

He had been battling Mo Hu ever since, with no time to ponder these mysteries.

Now, however, the situation was at a stalemate. His strength had soared, the mortal threat was lifted, and he had abandoned any hope of annihilating his enemies completely. With nothing else pressing, he revisited the earlier changes, and his interest was rekindled.

…

Within the darkness of his body, Zhou Yi watched with keen interest as the little vortices spun and drew in energy from his mind.

“One, two, three... three hundred sixty-five!” Bored, Zhou Yi counted each vortex, and when he reached the final tally, his spirit jolted: “Three hundred sixty-five? That number!”

Three hundred sixty-five—the number of stars in the celestial array. In Zhou Yi’s memory, this number was profound, representing the principal stars in the heavens. In every reference, whenever this number appeared, its significance was extraordinary.

“Could it be that I’ve stumbled upon great fortune without even realizing it?” As he pondered the extraordinary implications of three hundred sixty-five, joy bloomed in Zhou Yi’s heart. Regardless of whether the number held special meaning, its presence alone delighted him.

After all, it was a sign of auspiciousness!

Some time passed, and Zhou Yi’s excitement waned. Watching the tiny points slowly absorb energy, he realized that despite their numbers, the total energy taken was but a drop in the ocean compared to his own reserves.

More importantly, even after absorbing so much energy, the points remained unchanged.

Frustration crept in.

“So slow—who knows how long it will take for anything to happen?”

As he watched, impatience gnawed at him. Eventually, his patience was exhausted. He decided to let the points absorb energy at their own pace and leave them be; in time, all would be revealed.

Once the thought struck, it became irresistible. Zhou Yi cast one last glance at the vortices, preparing to depart, but his gaze lingered on the energy being sucked into them, and his movement halted.

“They absorb slowly because the force they exert is limited—it’s simply their own power!” Suddenly struck by inspiration, Zhou Yi mused, “But I’m here too!”

“Their strength is meager, but mine is considerable!”

“They absorb energy slowly, but I can help them!”

“Even if my power isn’t enough to perfect them instantly, I can at least accelerate their absorption dozens or even hundreds of times!”

“That way, the time it takes for them to be filled and transformed will be much shorter!”

The more Zhou Yi thought about it, the more excited he became, convinced of the feasibility of his idea. Moreover, through his observation, he noted that while the vortices’ suction was weak, their substance was substantial. More importantly, as energy continued to pour in, their substance grew.

This meant Zhou Yi might not be able to channel all his energy at once and induce transformation, but he could control the flow, feeding energy at the maximum rate each vortex could bear.

And this speed would increase as the vortices grew, allowing even faster absorption over time!

It would be like a snowball rolling downhill—slow at first, but soon each turn would surpass all previous efforts.

With this realization, Zhou Yi felt a surge of motivation and excitement, eager to discover the true nature of these vortices and the meaning behind the special number three hundred sixty-five.

If it held significance, what could it be?

All these questions, Zhou Yi believed, would be answered once the vortices absorbed enough energy and reached their limit, triggering transformation.

Then, everything would be revealed.